1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to document filtering and, in particular, to a method and system for filtering documents in a client/server environment with respect to new and/or relevant content.
2. Description of Related Art
Currently, major World Wide Web (WWW) sites create complex user interfaces using HyperText Markup Language (HTML). Consequently, the resulting HTML pages contain substantial amounts of presentational markup. Further, this presentational markup is repeated across all pages on the site. As an example, all pages served by CNN.com provide a common “look and feel” by including HTML markup that sets up a standard toolbar, menubar, and other Graphical User Interface (GUI) widgets.
Another consequence of using HTML to create complex user interfaces is that the amount of new content in each page downloaded from the same web site represents only a small fraction of the actual page. The inclusion of substantial presentational markup prevents devices with small screens from displaying most of the information contained on a web page.
Thus, in addition to the problems described above, the use of HTML to create complex user interfaces results in further problems and/or obstacles. For example, devices having low bandwidth require a long time to download complex pages. Additionally, low powered devices spend unnecessary computational cycles processing and displaying the same pieces of markup. Further, devices with limited display real estate are forced to display “heavyweight” GUI. Moreover, users with special needs, e.g., visually impaired users, have a difficult time picking out the relevant content in the displayed page.
Accordingly, it would be desirable and highly advantageous to have a method and system for filtering documents in a client/server environment so that only new and/or relevant content is delivered to a client.